Review: 'TIS THE SEASON: FOLKTALES & FABLES Spreads Holiday Cheer at B St. Theatre

The B St. Theatre is solidifying its reputation of excellent holiday entertainment with its newest Family Series offering, ‘Tis the Season: Folktales & Fables. Like previous years, this show consists of vignettes, written by multiple playwrights, that feature different traditions throughout the world along with cute stories imparting various moral lessons. While the style of the show remains the same, these scenes are fresh and just as fun.

Lyndsay Burch seamlessly directs some familiar faces in a ninety-minute party packed with laughter and magic. Stephanie Altholz, Jason Kuykendall, Meher Mistry, and Angel Rodriguez take on multiple roles that suit each of them perfectly. They are pulling no punches right out of the gate, with Altholz taking on the role of Schuster the Rooster. If you’re familiar with Altholz, you’ll want to go see this show to witness this adorable take. She’s brilliantly hilarious, as are Kuykendall and Mistry in an Aesop Bake-Off and Rodriguez in a story about twelve lucky grapes. There are also more serious stories peppered throughout, such as one about the first Thanksgiving, a folk dance depicting a battle, and the origin of Eid il-Burbara. Little ones will love the tale of the Icelandic Yule Cat, who eats those who do not finish turning wool into yarn before Christmas. Many will be too young to remember my personal favorite, an adorable story about how the Coca Cola bears of the 90s came to be, but the bears will steal hearts now just as easily as they did before.

The ‘Tis the Season series has quickly become a holiday staple, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s version that will feature traditions of Sacramento and Northern California. ‘Tis the Season: Folktales & Fables plays at the B St. Theatre through December 15th.  Tickets may be purchased online at BStreetTheatre.org, at the Box Office at 2700 Capitol Avenue, or by telephone at (916) 443-5300.

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